This might be the most packed post of the trip.  So, grab a beverage and find a nice big screen (heavens, not a phone!).

This is a new sign in Moriarty:

These Whiting Bros. gas stations signs in Moriarty were restored and relit in 2014.  This is the last Whiting Bros. station still in operation:

Moving on to Albuquerque.  The motel is now very cleaned up, nice looking apartments.  I’m glad they didn’t mess with the sign:

The Town Lodge was the Minton Lodge in the 1950s.  I wish I could find a postcard showing what the sign looked like then:

I love the plastic roof and lantern:

 

A fun mid-century modern building with a curvy roof, major rocks, and raised diamond brickwork around the back.  According to property records, it’s from 1965 but I don’t know the original use:

I wonder what’s under that siding of the Carlisle Plaza Mobile Home Park sign:

The Range Cafe has this diving woman sign.  The owner swears it’s vintage.  But I’ve been told by others that it’s not.  I examined it up close and I’m still not convinced either way.  Folks like Todd Sanders have gotten so good at mimicking vintage signs, complete with faux patina repurposed panels and cans.  Well, it’s a great sign either way:

The big deal of the day.  I got to meet a big time collector, Carlos Garcia, who has saved a number of Albuquerque signs.  He also has some non-ABQ signs including the two signs that went for a mint at the Mecum Auction recently:  the Weakley Equipment and Johnson’s Garage signs.  They were sold at the auction and then resold to him.  I didn’t ask the cost!  Carlos and his family own a number of new car dealerships in town.  En route to see some of his signs which are stashed in multiple locations around town, I witnessed some of his tractor collection.  Wow.

A Case tractor with a Case sign:

A Ferguson tractor sign.  I’ve never seen one of these.  Incredible shape.  Many of the signs that Carlos had in this building are crated while the display space for them is being readied.  He plans on opening some sort of cafe here:

Kurt’s Camera Corral opened in 1950 and closed around 2015.  Here’s my photo from 2012 of the sign:

The sign was removed in 2016 and is now part of Carlos’ collection:

Another much-loved sign is the one that was at Rupert Plumbing.  Here’s my photo from 2008:

When the company moved in 2001, they couldn’t get permission to install the sign at the new place.  So the sign stayed in place until Carlos got it in 2016.  He has plans to restore and display it in a small sign park in the next year or so:

Here’s the wrench part of the sign:

Here’s a photo that I took of the Santa Fe Lodge sign in Santa Fe in 2012:

That sign is also now part of Carlos’ collection:

Moving on to two more Albuquerque signs still in place:

Here’s a trio of signs from Grants:

I know you want a close-up of the above sign:

 

I went to nearby Milan to shoot the unique Dairy Queen sign.  Depressed to see that the DQ had closed and the sign was gone.  At least this monster with slanted poles is still there:

A long drive to Farmington but that AC was working smoothly.  Lucky to arrive at dusk and get some night shots:

A little more New Mexico and then on to Arizona tomorrow.

dj

Last day for Texas stuff.  Let’s pickup in Amarillo.  What a bummer.  Half of the Dennis the Price Menace sign is gone now.  Here’s what it used to look like:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmoorr/2477951919/

Love that backwards “N”:

It was sweltering in Amarillo (just like the rest of the trip).  I spotted this goose family hanging out under a dripping AC unit.  I can’t imagine where they go swimming around there.  I felt bad and was happy to have half of loaf of bread from a grocery store that sucked.  I cast a bunch of slices out the window and some of the goslings came over to snack.  I know, bread ain’t good for geese but I’m sure they don’t get a lot of it.  My barking dogs made most of them hesitate, so, I quickly drove off.  As I was doing do, another big goose family with young’uns came walking up briskly to check things out.  Nothing wrong with the guy on the left’s leg, by the way.  He walked just fine:

Passing through Adrian, TX this sign in full sun begged to be shot.  Midpoint between Chicago and Santa Monica:

Last stop in Texas — from Bovina.  I don’t remember seeing this giant beer can five years ago when I was here last:

On to Clovis, NM.  I went to check on the Bear sign:

A nice guy that I had called when writing my article about these signs showed me some behind the scenes stuff:  smaller signs and this original piece of Bear equipment which is still in use:

Way out of the way in Nara Visa, NM:

The motel itself has nifty perforated cylinders which must have been backlit at night:

Another sign from Nara Visa:

Tucumcari is looking pretty sad right now.  Lots of vacant lots, old stuff that’s looking even older.  Yes, the dressed up some gas stations with new paint (as the wrong brands — don’t get me started) and there are a few motels like the Blue Swallow that are in good hands.  But Tucumcari, Santa Rosa, and Moriarty look to be really toughing it out.  I’m surprised  the sign at the long-abandoned Westerner Drive-in is still clinging to life.  Here’s what it used to look like:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/madridminer/2685291347/

Moving on to Vaughn for these two signs:

Here’s a close-up of that Western panel with the nicely aged scenery.  Saguaro on the right and a mesa (?) in the middle:

Moving on to Santa Fe where there was a nasty forest fire in the west.  I felt like I could barely breathe and my eyes were stinging.  I had planned to stay the night there — but opted to head down to Albuquerque.  But I got a bunch of shots before I left:

I imagine from the funky edges that this sign had a faux wood background that got painted over at some point:

Here’s this night shot from about 40 mins. later:

From Espanola:

Last shot for this post — from Santa Fe:

More New Mexico coming up in the next post.

dj

Moving on out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area through tiny towns en route to the more populous Panhandle.  Not a lot to shoot but the AC was working nicely and it was relaxing (soporific) after several very hectic days.  So, this post will be shorter than most.

This sign is displayed on the ground in Decatur.  I’m assuming it’s at the site or near the site of the former motel:

From Seymour.  I assume this was the Wagon Wheel Cafe:

And, even in the little towns, mid-century modernsurprises:

Arrived in Lubbock in the afternoon where there was a lot more to shoot:

Although the disk on top of the sign is pretty plain, it’s still a cute logo for hot/cold:

I was really looking forward to seeing and shooting this one.  Alas, the best part (the clown) is gone now.  Here’s what we missed:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/da/0a/5d/da0a5d0ae7f3c42695bc788f92f58465.jpg

 

But I was immediately cheered up when I found a big vacant lot with a prairie dog colony.  I cut the dogs loose for a good romp despite the heat.  The prairie dogs always win the game, of course.  Chirping to each other and ducking down their holes just when the dogs get within a couple of feet.  There was a creek nearby that I dunked the canine dogs in after that.

Two fun signs at the same place:

And just around the corner:

Moving on to Amarillo at dusk.  I can’t help but include another alignment bear.

More Amarillo in the next post.

dj

A cloudy morning really bummed me out.  I took a few naps.  Then, as soon as I got myself set up at Starbucks with my laptop and papers and all that, the sun came out.  Shit!  Packed everything back up and then the clouds came back.  Dammit.   Lots of pauses throughout the day to wait for the sun and then the world’s worst traffic jam on the interstate heading out of Dallas.  An accident AND construction.  So, this post is a bit shorter than most.

More stuff from Dallas.  Let’s start with this one with the cloudy background.  I’m sure these were mass-produced but I don’t know of any that are left:

A cute little detail on a blown out sign at the Garland Road Thrift Store:

And this cute fella at Sali’s Italizan Restaurant.  I’ve got a thing for pizza chefs:
http://www.roadarch.com/sca/pizza.html

This was built as a Hardee’s.  A car wash office now with the steeple removed.  And BOY did I catch hell from the owner/manager for taking this photo.  He ran out screaming at me and wrote down my license plate saying he was calling the police.  Sheesh.  I didn’t bother to interact — that never goes well.   Here’s what the building and sign would have looked like originally:
http://www.roadarch.com/06/5/conchardees.jpg

I don’t know if this sign is adapted or reconstructed or both.  It looks pretty new.  It might have been (or been inspired by) the Fidelity Union Life Insurance parking garage which was here previously.  Maybe the letters inside the arrow read parking (one letter less now and reconfigured):

This Coca-Cola sign is in front of the Farmers Market building.  These signs were mass-produced for Coke and there are about a dozen of them displayed around the country.  I don’t know if the “Western Cafe” was in Dallas or if this came from somewhere else.  It appears that the top and bottom panels of this sign were covered up a few years ago:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tommythecat/4438224270/

The Chevrolet Motor Company Building was built it 1923.  It now houses the Futura Lofts.  I assume this sign was adapted but I can’t find any photos anywhere.

This artsy pizza slice hovers over Serious Pizza:

Finally done with Dallas.  I shot this Independent Order of Oddfellow sign in Grapevine just as I was running out of light.

Five more days/posts to come.  That might straggle out until next weekend which will give you time to see the purtier photos from this trip over at Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

dj

This was the most prolific AND most beautiful day of the trip.  Sure, it was over 100 degrees but, oh, the gorgeous white clouds!  They make a nice photo look spectacular.  Most of the time, the clouds even cooperated in not blocking the sun.  So, this will probably be the longest blog post of the trip.  Let’s get cracking!

All from Fort Worth unless indicated below:

A couple of palm tree signs:

There was another one of these signs (identical and same name) in River Oaks, TX which was demolished in 2012:

This one is in Arlington.  This photo shows the sign when it was lit and before it became Americas Best Value Inn:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/83379080@N00/2518387497/

Heartbreaking.  This sign in Grand Prairie has been significantly altered.  The green sign with the dancers on the right is gone now:

Here’s what it looks like now (note the Garzas sign behind it has been altered as well):

The Starlite Room has also changed a bit.  My photo from 2011:

Now Chinese food.  At least the rooftop sign has been left alone (except for the one star removed).  Probably too much trouble to remove it:

Some more things from Grand Prairie.  A former not-that-old Whataburger with a dramatic repaint (now Pappy’s Catfish):

Now a boring police station but I’m glad they kept this bit of the building.  I can’t find any photos of what it looked it:

A couple of signs from Grand Prairie:

A nice plastic Masonic sign from Irving:

Moving on to Dallas:

I suspect that the “RAYS” discs might have revolved originally:

Let’s pause for multiple shots from Lone Star Donuts.  The zig-zag roofline and office on the second floor on the left:

The nice plastic sign with faux wood grain porcelain enamel sign pole.  By the way, the “Since 1950” refers to when the bakery was founded.  This location opened here in 1967.  It’s not clear if this building was already there then.

Inside — some nice original details:

That Jerry’s supermarket type is incredible:

A bank? An office building?

FAMSA is a big furniture and electronics store.  This FAMSA panel revolved originally but now just blows around in the wind:

There were at least two or three other Optical Clinic signs with giant glasses in the Dallas area.  I believe this is the only sign left now:

I see that I posted this guy to my blog already in 2008.  Ah well, he deserves another inclusion:

This sign-topper is located at Johnny’s Motor Co. in way southeast Dallas:

This one is in Corsicana at Bill’s Fried Chicken:

Back in Dallas.  This sign originally read “Motel Winway” with “Coffee Shop” text on the arrow below.  You can see the patching and repainting if you stare at the sign long enough.  The top arrow had bulbs.  Here’s a photo showing its previous look:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollyblock/7600625046/

The Boyd Hotel sign — now maintained (lit at night) by the Local restaurant which is housed in the ground floor:

One more for this post.  I wish the bottom of this sign hadn’t been defaced.  It originally read “Louver Windows”.  Evidently, that happened when the space housed the Club Clearview:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/claycoleman/3621089002/

If you haven’t been keeping up with my Flickr photos from this trip, there’s loads of great stuff there:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Six more days of posts to go.

dj

I finished up all the Abilene area stuff yesterday and was anxious to get going.  We showed up at the Pep Boys in Abilene for our 8am appointment.  I got a lot of photoshopping done thanks to the Wi-Fi while the kids waited patiently:

The “Master Tech” diagnosed that the A/C tubing which Firestone installed in 2012 was not installed properly and had rubbed against stuff and created pin-sized holes.  He put in proper brackets and even fixed (for free!) my dying driver door handle and three power/cigarette outlets which were hanging by a thread.  I was reimbursed for the previous two A/C “repairs” on this trip.  We lost about five hours but I’m happy to say that the A/C worked the rest of the trip.

Let’s start with a bunch of stuff from Fort Worth where the clouds were with us — in a good way for the most part.  Sometimes, I’d have to stand there for a few minutes when the sun went away.  But I just stared at the ground so I’d be ready to push the button when I saw the hard shadows appear.

Three shots from the Drummers Inn:

 

xx

 

It must have been stunning when it had neon:

This crappy plastic covering was added within the last year or so.  A trade-off I guess since it protects the neon.  Here’s what the sign looks like at night:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dangrdave/31749821133/

This one has been neon-less for years:

Creepy but great statue at Mr. Pollo #2.  What kind of tool is he using on that chicken?  It looks more like an apple peeler than a knife:

The Jefferson Drive-in theatre was located Dallas.  It was the last drive-in in the Dallas area.  Here’s a photo I took of the sign in 2003:

The drive-in closed around 1990 and the sign sat there for years until a new elementary school was built on the site.  The sign was saved and it has been repurposed at this place in Kennedale:

I shot this Dutch Maid Do-Nut Shop sign in Haltom City in 2011:

The cruller’s hole has been covered up and the sign advertises for the Taqueria El Toro now:

This sign in Fort Worth appears freshly repainted.  I’m betting this has always advertised for a used car lot:

Moving on to Dallas tomorrow.

dj

The dogs and I survived our second day in a row with no AC in the 100 plus heat.  I was busy shooting away although I might have been walking a little slower than normal.  I soaked the dogs in creeks here and there.  And dumped jugs of water on all of it from time to time.   We made the most of it before the next day’s big “date” at the Pep Boys.

Some points south of Abilene to start the day.  This super nice storefront is at Nathan’s Jewelers in Brownwood:

Moving on to Abilene — an Italian restaurant with a nice gondola sign:

Some other nice signs in Abilene:

Note the clever sign pole shaped like a horn:

Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to shoot this rooftop sign at the right time of day:

A nifty downtown building faced with rocks:

I shot this one years ago when it was still operating.  Sad to see it vacant now.  The cream and green on the building are vitrolite tiles:

Two great signs at this place:

Equally great, in a different way:

I’m guessing the sign is 1960s or 1970s.  Note that the “Crier” has an animated arm:

Moving south for a bit.  YES!  I can highly recommend the cherry limeade at this place.  According to the folks inside, this has always been a Hatahoe restaurant in Anson.  The sign had neon originally:

I don’t know if the cup was inspired by Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets but it’s titled pretty much the same way.  Too skinny to be an adapted KFC bucket.  But I suppose one could be easily cut & altered to this shape:

This sign is also in Anson:

This painted brick advertising is in Stamford.  These signs look so nice when they aren’t repainted.  Too many of these Coke signs are bright red now and they details have been lost.  It looks like the first “C” in Coca-Cola has been painted.  But I doubt that’s recent:

Let’s close out with another (former) neon boot in Eastland:

More later,

dj

Well, so much for the “four days” that the Roswell mechanic promised.  By late morning, I cranked on the AC.  Blowing hot air.  Again.  I stuck to my route despite the fact that the nearest Pep Boys was in Abilene.  I set up an appointment with them and  loaded up the water jugs for two days of misery and all-day driving/shooting.  I suppose a saner person would have just holed up in a motel until then.  But, hey, the sun’s out and vacation time is short.

Let’s start out with some signs in Midland with this Holiday Inn sign copycat:

And this “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign copycat.  The Vegas sign was designed by Betty Willis who never had the design copyrighted and it has been lifted for many modern signs lately.  Here’s the Vegas sign:

and the one in Midland:

This truck & rooster are at Big Sky Towing in Odessa:

Manuel’s Restaurant in Odessa has a number of signs:

I would assume that the hot Texas sun has turned the Mexican kid green:

Southern Maid Donuts.  This just might be the best donut I’ve had in my life.  And I’ve had a lot.  Orange glaze with coconut on a puffy, lovely light cake donut.  Gawd.  I could eat six of them in one sitting if I had them.  They have a huge variety.  You must stop if you are driving between El Paso and Dallas on I-20.

The Ector Theatre in Odessa…

… will soon be getting a makeover as evidenced by this development poster in the “Coming Soon” movie poster case:

No such promise for the Scott Theatre in town which I like better:

Fun painting at the Western Drug Package Store:

One more from Odessa.  This funky welding sign.  The chain link fencing prevented me shooting the sunny side.  I’ll try to translate.  A hand in a welding glove on the right and some sparks on an abstract object.  I think.

A couple of signs from Fort Stockton:

This wonderousness is being consumed by trees and pointing at nothing that’s open:

Let’s end with one of my (many) favorite themes:  boot signs.  This one in Big Spring:

And this one at Wood’s Boots in Colorado City:

I’m off to photoshop like a demon for the rest of the night.  I’m hoping to get the rest of these blog and Flickr posts up this weekend.  Then, I can settle down into the groove of working on the website.  I figure it’ll take me maybe six months to get the nearly 2,000 photos inserted there.

Don’t forget, I’m simultaneously uploading a sampling of each day’s photos from this trip over at Flickr (different photos than this blog):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

dj & the still recuperating dogs

I finished up my Roswell, NM shooting in the morning and was all eager to wrap up the Southern New Mexico stuff and get over to the big chunk of stuff in Texas.  It was around 10:30am and I decided to turn on the AC since it was in the 80s already and climbing quickly.  No dice.   Blowing hot air.  Evidently, it took four days for the freon to leak out again since Day 1’s long pitstop at the Pep Boys in Yuma.  Crap.    I wanted to hit another Pep Boys since the job was under warranty.  But it turns out there aren’t any Pep Boys in Southern NM — not even in Albuquerque.  The closest was Santa Fe, NM which was WAY north and a huge break from my planned route.  It was a Saturday and the mechanic at the Goodyear was nice enough to drop what he was doing to look things over.  He couldn’t find any leaks anywhere despite his fairly high tech machine and decades of expertise.   He suspected the rattling compressor or the seal leading to the line behind it.  But he told me not to worry since AC systems are very predictable.  If I’d gotten four days, I’d get another four with the refill.  (Not so it would turn out.)

I’d always wanted to know more about that Goodyear anyway but I didn’t get very far.  One guy said it was a car dealership (Cadillac).  But another guy insisted it was always a GE appliance dealer.

And so, after about a two hour delay, we were on our way.  Here’s a nicely aged sign in Roswell.  Let’s hope they never repainted it since that would ruin it:

A couple of signs from Artesia, NM:

This one may have bright paint but the rust and holes on the can indicate this sign is super old.  Bennie’s Western Wear opened here in 1947 and I’m inclined to believe the sign is from then:

On the way west end of Hobbs, NM, at a closed restaurant-ish looking place, was this C-152 Lectra sign.  There are about a dozen of these left scattered around the country.  The arms were studded with bulbs originally.  This video gives you an idea of what these signs would have looked like at night:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8492055@N08/4794881045/

 

That’s the end of New Mexico for awhile.  We now move on to Texas for awhile.  This funky panel mish-mash is in Big Spring on the east end of town:

More coming right up.

dj

 

Since El Paso is right up against the southern New Mexico border, it made sense to grab that city at this point rather than with the rest of Texas.  Let’s start there.

Apparently, a building was just knocked down on this lot revealing some nicely preserved “ghost dogs” (vintage painted advertising signs):

This sign has been painted, badly.  From 2012:

and now with the name painted over and the tires and grill crudely painted:

The Sunbeam sign is also missing the girl now.  My photo from 2008:

Google Maps Street View shows she was still there in 2015 so this change must be recent:

The Barrel House Liquor sign:

Right behind it is the Cappetto’s Italian Restaurant sign:

The bulb piece on top must have been amazing.  I assume it some sort of flashy thing.  I’ve seen poles with bulbs on them attached to poles.  But nothing with THIS many bulbs:

An older panel below the main panel of the Montana Motel sign.  With these vacancy signs, these “Sorry No” letters could be turned on as needed with a separate switch:

This operating Coca-Cola plant sign is most likely modern.  It reads Dr. Pepper on the other side.  It apparently revolved originally but not on this trip:

This one’s definitely vintage.  It’s inside the High Altitude bike shop in Cloudcroft, NM:

On to Roswell, NM.  I didn’t shoot any alien stuff — not my thing.  This Roswell Motor Supply sign was installed at a local business.  It has been installed inside this Farley’s restaurant/bar since around 2004.  The bellhop? mechanic? has an animated saluting arm.  Although the sign is usually lit, there was a problem and the manager couldn’t get it to come on.  Bummer:

11 more days to come…

dj